FIFA under scrutiny after reports Lionel Mpasi may have played without complete eligibility paperwork
Reports say Lionel Mpasi’s change of sporting nationality lacked complete paperwork, and FIFA weighed sanctions but took no action.
FIFA is under scrutiny after international media reports that an unregistered player may have taken part in World Cup matches for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The controversy centers on goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and alleges procedural lapses during the qualification process that could have affected his eligibility.
Allegations from internal documents
The New York Times and Le Monde, citing internal FIFA documents and correspondence, report that FIFA legal experts concluded the paperwork required to change Mpasi's sporting nationality was incomplete. Those reports claim FIFA considered a range of penalties, from fines to excluding DR Congo from further World Cup qualifying, but ultimately took no disciplinary action.
The case reportedly began after a complaint from the Nigerian Football Federation, which challenged Mpasi's eligibility. According to the published accounts, FIFA dismissed that complaint on formal grounds and did not impose sanctions that would have reversed DR Congo's results in the playoff stage.
DR Congo beat Nigeria in the playoff and then confirmed its World Cup place with a victory over Jamaica. Lionel Mpasi played in all of DR Congo's matches at the tournament up to the round of 16, when the team was eliminated by England.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is also mentioned in the reporting because of his relationship with Veron Mosengo-Ombe, the president of the Congolese Football Federation. The New York Times states Mosengo-Ombe was a close associate of Infantino while preparing his candidacy for the federation presidency during the period when the eligibility investigation was underway; Mosengo-Ombe was later elected after DR Congo qualified for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The developments raise questions about how FIFA handled the eligibility review and whether its internal processes were applied consistently in this high-profile case.
Photo: press material from the event
